Yumiko Hirokawa “Letter to the World”
October 7 - November 11, 2023
Yumi Hirokawa will be present at the gallery for 2 evenings
Opening reception: Saturday October 7, 5-7pm
Evening with Yumi: Thursday October 12, 6-7:30pm
Yumi is returning to Washington DC for this exhibition after going back to Japan last year.
She has done a collection of paintings focused on the theme of peace. If the news of war fills your heart with sorrow, please come to the gallery. Take a breathe in a space where rivers flow under a blue sky, trees flourish, and beautiful flowers bloom. You are sure to find a new map that represents a peaceful world.
In this special 20th anniversary year of my graduation from the Corcoran College, I am excited to announce that I will have a solo show at the Watergate Gallery in DC.
Dear friends,
How are you all doing?
Every day we hear painful news of the war. I would like to ask people around the world,
"Is that war necessary?" At the same time, I ask for solidarity for peace. This exhibition "Letter to the World" stands for this idea.
My father told me that he witnessed the atomic bomb cloud in Nagasaki during World War II. This experience inspired me to create a painting called “The Sky of August”. The painting depicts the summer clouds I saw during my summer vacation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It has lantern lights floating in the clouds, and there are no fighter jets flying.
Then I created works that dealt with the realities of war. I had taught classical Japanese literature. This experience led me to depict the destroyed classrooms and burning textbooks. These are symbols of the precious things lost by today's war, and remind us of what we need to protect.
Therefore, the body of my work is about the peaceful beauty found in everyday life and the beauty we must protect when it is threatened by war.
The work of white flowers will bring comfort to those of us who are hurt and tired.
The work of white maps will be an indispensable item for those who must move forward in these uncertain times.
These are essential for us to face the reality that surrounds us.
The use of gold and silver leaf in the paintings gives the works a unique luminosity that harmonizes beautifully with my vision of a peaceful world. Lights illuminate the viewer. The light represents thousands of years of prayer that our future will be bright and hopeful.
Just as a canary in a coal mine warned the miners of danger, I want to be the canary of art when we stray from the path of peace.
With prayer and determination,
Yumi
